Wildfire smoke drifting across Whatcom County. Here’s how long will it hang around
Bellingham’s air quality hovered in the moderate range Wednesday as smoke from wildfires across the Northwest drifted over Western Washington.
Air quality in parts of the southern Puget Sound region was considered unhealthy Wednesday, but it was not expected to worsen past moderate levels in Whatcom County, according to officials at the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
“Ground-level smoke from fires in British Columbia and the Olympic Peninsula will impact our area. Residual smoke from fireworks is also impacting some places,” the agency said Wednesday on its social media.
“At this time, it is uncertain when conditions will improve because existing wildfires could grow and new wildfires may start,” agency officials said.
High temperatures Wednesday were expected in the low 80s, about 10 degrees above normal for early July.
Reid Wolcott of the National Weather Service in Seattle said a red flag warning for extreme fire danger would continue through at least Wednesday in parts of Washington.
“In general, expect visibility to slowly improve today and the mixing layer deepens. However, smoke from local fires will continue to be an issue until those fires are extinguished,” Wolcott said in the online forecast discussion.
It could be just the start of a long, hot smoky summer, according to fire managers, meteorologists and air quality officials.
Current long-range forecasts call for a warmer than normal summer for Western Washington, with below-normal rainfall, during the state’s driest months.
Clear skies and more seasonable temperatures were expected for the weekend ahead, and next week is shaping up for continued fair skies with daytime highs in the mid-70s.
This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 11:28 AM.
